Excelsior class
Original Configuration Type: Cruiser Length: 467 meters Beam: 185 meters Height: 100 meters Mass: 2,350,000 metric tons Crew: 750 Maximum Speed: Warp 12 (Cochrane scale) Armament: 12+ dual phaser turrets; 4 photon torpedo launchers Defenses: Deflector shields Refit Configuration Type: Explorer Length: 467 meters Beam: 185 meters Height: 100 meters Mass: 2,350,000 metric tons Crew: 750 Maximum Speed: Warp 12 (Cochrane scale) Armament: 12+ dual phaser turrets; 4 photon torpedo launchers Defenses: Deflector shields The prototype of the Excelsior class ships, the USS Excelsior (NX-2000) was initially fitted with a transwarp drive and proclaimed "the great experiment". The ship had an ignoble start when its engines failed when it was called into action to prevent the theft of the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) in 2285. History Although the "great experiment" of the transwarp drive failed to create a revolution in the nature of warp speeds and space travel, the Excelsior spaceframe was still the most advanced design in Starfleet. After prototype runs, some modifications were made, such as a different bridge structure and a different shuttle-bay structure to the NCC-2000 class-ship. Several variations of the original design continue in service up to the Dominion War. Design and Construction History In the mid 2200s, the the Oberth, Miranda, and Constitution class vessels represented the backbone of Starfleet. The Oberth class was a deep-space scientific platform, dedicated almost solely to science missions. The Miranda served as a multi-role starship in patrol along the Klingon and Romulan borders, but also as a police frigate throughout the Federation. The Constitution class vessels, however, were Starfleet's true ship-of-the-line starships, representing the Federation's most advanced technologies in her time. However, the Constitution class was showing its age in engagements and endurance as the threat to Federation safety from the Klingon Empire increased. Starfleet was in need of a starship that would not only compliment the Miranda class, but also supplant the highly succesful Constitution class. Further, this vessel had to have a longer on-station time than the Constitutional class, more firepower, and most of all, be faster than the ship it was replacing. When Starfleet approved the design, one prototype vessel was constructed. The theory that speeds beyond Warp Ten were possible was until then never proven in practice. Failure of the Great Experiment By the end of 2282, the USS Excelsior, NX-2000 was assigned to the command of Captain Styles, and ordered out of San Francisco Fleet Yards orbital facility to Earth Spacedock where she would take on her crew, resupply, and begin her trial runs. Given the complexity and experimental nature of the newly dubbed Transwarp Drive, the Engineering Department was headed up by newly promoted Captain Montgomery Scott, recently transferred over from the decommissioned USS Enterprise. But before the Excelsior could put out for her final shakedown cruise, Admiral Kirk and his crew stole the USS Enterprise from Spacedock. As the Enterprise sped away from Spacedock, ti seemed a natural chance for Starfleet Command to see what exactly the Excelsior could do and to prove for once and for all that the Excelsior was indeed the next evolution in space frame and propulsion technology. When the ship failed to achieve warp drive and pursue the stolen Enterprise, it was obvious the Great Experiment had not succeeded. After action reports indicated that Captain Scott had succeeded in sabotaging completely and totally the transwarp drive. The complexity of its design was its downfall, and the Excelsior class returned to spacedock under impulse power, and it's transwarp drive was removed and replaced with a conventional warp drive system. Early History Despite the fact that the transwarp experiment had failed, the Excelsior was the most advanced ship in the fleet, and the spaceframe was still considered a success. After the final shakedown of the USS Excelsior, Starfleet ordered the construction of additional vessels. Refit A decade later, some serious flaws were exposed in the original Excelsior design. Again, the basic design of the Excelsior space frame was modified, addressing individually the specific problems with the current design. The resulting redesign addressed all concerns about the Excelsior class, and the Excelsior-Refit, like the Constitution-Refit 30 years earlier, doubled the utility of the vessel without sacrificing production time or costs. Additional armor, along with placement of the impulse engines within the primary neck structure and saucer section gave the vessel additional combat maneuverability and survivability. Despite the limitations of the original design, Starfleet was quite happy with the existing space frame, issuing contracts to bring the total number of Excelsior class vessels up to 100, while the Excelsior-Refit class contract would place the number of vessels at 25 when the first contract with McKinley Station and San Francisco Fleet Yards was completed. THIS SECTION IS UNDER DISCUSSION. The Future While the expected life span of the Excelsior class was listed at 50 years, the class has lasted twice that. Sturdy, accommodating to crew and passengers, the Excelsior class is perhaps the most widely recognized class of starship in the Federation. Although the Excelsiors was refitted several times, Starflet wishes to integrate more and more Ambassador and later Nebula class vessels into the roles that had traditionally been served by the Excelsior class. With Excelsior class ships serving as the bulk of the fleet in engagements against both the Borg and the Dominion, the vessels have seen a startling attrition rate. In combat missions, recommissioned and revamped Steamrunner class vessels replaced the Excelsior. Starfleet has officially retired the design and is keeping the remaining Excelsior class vessels in service until their estimated refit dates before decommissioning the vessels. Interior Main Bridge Located on top of the primary hull, the Excelsior's Main Bridge directly supervises all primary mission operations and coorindates all departmental activities. The bridge configuration is a simplified version of the later Galaxy class configuration, though due to the age of the Excelsior class, bridge configurations can vary from ship to ship. The central area of the bridge provides seating and information displays for the captain and two other officers. The captain's chair is raised from the rest of the bridge officers, to that of the surrounding level which includes tactical and operations. The two officer seats are equipped with fully programmable consoles for a variety of uses. Directly fore and to the right of the command area is the flight control officer, who faces the main viewer. Directly fore and to the captain's left is the Ops console. Identical in size and design to the Helm station, the operations console is one of the most sensitive consoles to access on the bridge, due to the wide variety of information available here. At the very front of the bridge is a large viewscreen. This main viewer performs all the standard duties expected of it. Aft and to starboard of the command area is an elevated platform on which is located the tactical/security control station (comprised of two consoles, one for tactical, and one for security, located directly behind tactical and along the back of the bridge area). These consoles are to the starboard side of the captain’s chair, no longer in the direct middle. Against the port side walls of the main bridge are the consoles for science and others that are programmable for a multitude of functions. There are two science consoles with science 2 being a fully programmable multi-mission console. Science I, which is the primary science console, has priority links to Conn, Ops, computers, and Tactical. Against the aft wall of the main bridge is the large engineering console. This has a smaller cutaway diagram of the starship, which displays all engineering-relevant data and shows warp fields and engine output. This console also has priority links to the computers, the Warp Propulsion System, the Impulse Propulsion System, and navigation. Although usually unattended, the Chief Engineer can bring this console to full enable mode by entering voice codes and undergoing a retinal scan. Also located on the platform, against the aft wall of the bridge, is a large master systems display monitor, similar to the one in Main Engineering. All relative ship information (such as damage, power distribution, etc.) is displayed on the cutaway image of the starship. This monitor can be used to direct ship operations and can be configured for limited flight control if necessary. There are two turbolifts on the bridge that can handle normal transit around the starship. There is also an emergency ladder that connects the bridge to the deck below. There is also one door, on the aft platform of the bridge, that leads to the Conference Room, which is directly aft of the Main Bridge. Other connected rooms to the Main Bridge include the Captain's Ready Room. Main Engineering Located on Deck 12, Main Engineering is the heart of the ship. It has access to almost all systems aboard the starship, and manages repairs, power flow, and general maintenance. Entrance to Main Engineering is provided by two large blast doors that can be closed for internal or external security reasons. Just inside of that is an observation area where technicians monitor various systems of the ship. Also in that area, is a floor-mounted situational display similar to the Master Systems Display found on the bridge. In the center of Main Engineering is the warp core. This is where primary power for the ship is generated inside the matter/anti-matter reaction chamber. This system is checked on a regular basis due to its importance to the ship. Access to the warp core is restricted, with a front port to get to the dilithium matrix as well as an over side port for access to the warp plasma conduits. Medical Facilities The Excelsior class starship houses one large Sickbay, equipped with an intensive-care ward, a laboratory, a nursery, the Chief Medical Officer's office, four surgical suites, and a null-grav therapy ward. Also pursuant to the new Medical Protocols, all medical facilities are equipped with holo-emitters for the emergency usage of the Emergency Medical Hologram. Lounge There is a large lounge, located on Deck 15, starboard. It has a very relaxed and congenial air about it. This lounge is the social centre of the ship. The Lounge has a battery of recreational games, including Three-dimensional chess, poker tables, windows that look out into space, heavily cushioned seats, and numerous other games. There is also a bar, and it stores various potent alcoholic beverages. Shuttlebay The Excelsior class' Shuttelbay is located at the dorsal bow of the ship, and houses several shuttles of different types. Ships commissioned Excelsior class *[[USS Al-Batani|USS Al-Batani]] (NCC-42995) *[[USS Berlin|USS Berlin]] (NCC-14232) *[[USS Cairo|USS Cairo]] (NCC-42136) *[[USS Charleston|USS Charleston]] (NCC-42285) *[[USS Crazy Horse|USS Crazy Horse]] (NCC-50446) *[[USS Crockett|USS Crockett]] (NCC-38955) *[[USS Excelsior|USS Excelsior]] (NCC-2000) *[[USS Fearless|USS Fearless]] (NCC-4598) *[[USS Gorkon|USS Gorkon]] (NCC-40512) *[[USS Grissom|USS Grissom]] (NCC-42857) *[[USS Hood|USS Hood]] (NCC-42296) *[[USS Intrepid|USS Intrepid]] (NCC-38907) *[[USS Lexington|USS Lexington]] (NCC-14427) *[[USS Livingston|USS Livingston]] (NCC-34099) *[[USS Malinche|USS Malinche]] (NCC-38997) *[[USS Melbourne|USS Melbourne]] (NCC-62043) *[[USS Okinawa|USS Okinawa]] (NCC-13958) *[[USS Potemkin|USS Potemkin]] (NCC-18253) *[[USS Repulse|USS Repulse]] (NCC-2544) *[[USS Roosevelt|USS Roosevelt]] (NCC-2573) *[[USS Tecumseh|USS Tecumseh]] (NCC-14934) *[[USS Valley Forge|USS Valley Forge]] (NCC-43305) Excelsior class refit *[[USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-B)|USS Enterprise]] (NCC-1701-B) *[[USS Lakota|USS Lakota]] (NCC-42768) Appearences Excelsior class *Star Trek III: The Search for Spock *Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home *Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country *TNG: "Encounter at Farpoint, Part I" *TNG: "The Best of Both Worlds, Part I" *TNG: "Chain of Command, Part I" *TNG: "Descent, Part I" *TNG: "The Offspring" *TNG: "The Drumhead" *DS9: "The Way of the Warrior" *DS9: "By Inferno's Light" *DS9: "Doctor Bashir, I Presume?" *DS9: "Ties of Blood and Water" *DS9: "Blaze of Glory" *DS9: "Call to Arms" *DS9: "Sons and Daughters" *DS9: "Behind the Lines" *DS9: "Favor the Bold" *DS9: "The Sacrifice of Angels" *DS9: "Resurrection" *DS9: "The Magnificent Ferengi" *DS9: "Waltz" *DS9: "One Little Ship" *DS9: "Honor Among Thieves" *DS9: "Change of Heart" *DS9: "Wrongs Darker Than Death or Night" *DS9: "Inquisition" *DS9: "Tears of the Prophets" *DS9: "Chrysalis" *DS9: "Once More Unto the Breach" *DS9: "It's Only a Paper Moon" *DS9: "Field of Fire" *DS9: "Chimera" *DS9: "Badda-Bing, Badda-Bang" *DS9: "The Changing Face of Evil" *DS9: "What You Leave Behind" *VOY: "Flashback" *VOY: "Relativity" *VOY: "Author, Author" *VOY: "Endgame" Excelsior class refit *Star Trek: Generations *DS9: "Paradise Lost" Background information The Excelsior class was designed by Bill George and built at Industrial Light and Magic for Star Trek III: The Search for Spock. The Excelsior class refit modifications were designed by John Eaves under the supervision of production designer Herman Zimmerman for Star Trek: Generations. References *''Star Trek Star Fleet Technical Manual'' *''Star Trek: The Next Generation Technical Manual; Rick Sternbach, Michael Okuda, 1991. ISBN 1-85283-340-8. *Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Technical Manual. *Star Trek Chronology'' *''Star Trek Spaceflight Chronology'' *''Star Trek: The Magazine''